This connects with a question running through a lot of TCRU’s work: what shapes young people’s futures when opportunity is uneven? @amit-singh.bsky.social new book, Cancelled Futures, looks at how class, race and place affect what young working-class people feel is possible. @sriucl.bsky.social

Amit Singh@amit-singh.bsky.social · 2d ago

Cancelled Futures: Class, Race & Place in Post-Industrial Britain 16th September at UCL I'll be talking race, class & place with @alexkelbert.bsky.social & @lukedenoronha.bsky.social Hosted by @uclsociology.bsky.social & @sprc-ucl.bsky.social Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cancelled-...

Health visiting matters because it can spot and respond to needs early, before families reach crisis point. New research, involving TCRU colleagues, looks at what happens when constrained resources pull services towards the sharp end. Relevant for early years, prevention and family support policy.

📢A new CPRU publication looks at how proportionate universalist services are affected by resource constraint in practice. Read it here: jech.bmj.com/content/earl...

Useful to see continued investment in tools that support health visitors to identify babies’ needs early. Health visiting relies on skilled judgement, time & trusted relationships with families. Tools can play an important role when they support that practice. Related TCRU research: bit.ly/4nDiHJ6

Institute of Health Visiting@ihealthvisiting.bsky.social · last mo.

Further investment from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood to support health visitors to “give babies a voice” following the publication of the iHV ADBB Phase Two Study. buff.ly/d6L0tK3 #HealthVisiting

Getting to the heart of the issue. Leave rights matter. This piece by @profatarrant.bsky.social sets out why pay, eligibility and dedicated leave for fathers remain central to meaningful parental leave reform. @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social @ukri.org @ioe.bsky.social

The Conversation UK@uk.theconversation.com · last mo.

Mothers still bear the majority of care work and fathers are still largely excluded or pushed to take unpaid leave.

Fatherhood policy is not only about changing attitudes. It also depends on whether leave, work and services make care possible in practice. This UCL conference takes stock of fatherhood research, policy and practice today: lnkd.in/dWhr6EVc Related TCRU case study: bit.ly/4sOhSyr

Parental leave reform: what helps fathers to take leave

UCL's Thomas Coram Research Unit has been assembling a significant evidence base on parental leave policy design and take-up, examining how policy shapes behaviour and outcomes for families.

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Conservative Christian women are often portrayed as followers in American politics, but @drkatiegaddini.bsky.social of @tcru-ucl.bsky.social says that stereotype misses a lot. In this pod ep, learn how they've become a powerful force on the American right. 🎧 Listen: scholars.org/podcast/chri...

Muslim women’s experiences of academia can tell universities a lot about what inclusion looks like in practice. In a new blog, TCRU’s Amena Amer reflects on how racism, sexism and Islamophobia can intersect in university life. bit.ly/4atn04A @britishacademy.bsky.social @britishfuture.bsky.social

Women are often treated as passive supporters of the Christian Right. @drkatiegaddini.bsky.social new book Esther’s Army shows how they became some of the most effective political organisers in modern US conservatism. Out today: bit.ly/3QtTTrd @wwnortonuk.bsky.social @uclsociology.bsky.social

Esther's Army

How and why right-wing Christian women have risen to the forefront of American politics

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TCRU’s Katie Hollingworth co-authored the research behind this piece bit.ly/4uLKDg9 England’s childcare market shows why funding isn’t the whole story. If places open where profits are safest, poorer families can still be left with fewer options. More: bit.ly/4adNRBF @atkinsoncentre.bsky.social

Atkinson Centre@atkinsoncentre.bsky.social · 2mo ago

As Canada expands $10-a-day #childcare, England's experience offers a cautionary lesson: funding alone isn't enough. Guest bloggers Antonia Simon & Katie Hollingworth explore how market consolidation & financialization can affect equity, stability, and access. Read more: mailchi.mp/utoronto/wha...

Featured in @newscientist.com: new research from TCRU’s @ktwamley.bsky.social suggests the “relationship recession” for Gen Z may be even bigger than previously thought. @sriucl.bsky.social @ioe.bsky.social

New Scientist@newscientist.com · 2mo ago

We know that members of Gen Z are less likely to be in a steady relationship than millennials were at their age, but previous research missed out an important factor that actually widens the relationship recession

TCRU’s @drkatiegaddini.bsky.social joins this UCL panel exploring politics, religion and public life. The discussion connects closely with Katie’s new book, Esther’s Army, on gender, religion and political power in the US. @sriucl.bsky.social @ioe.bsky.social

UCL@ucl.ac.uk · 2mo ago

Disagreeing Well brings together perspectives to explore one of the most contested questions shaping contemporary public life: Is politics corrupting religion? On 2 July, the Bloomsbury Theatre will host a panel of experts to explore this question! Book your tickets here: https://bit.ly/4u82xJG

What does statelessness mean for families in Pakistan? TCRU’s @humeraiqbal.bsky.social has co-authored an article in the Melbourne Asia Review on statelessness. Her piece explores how citizenship uncertainty affects decisions about marriage, family life and children’s futures. Read: bit.ly/4eI7wvT

The marriage question: How does statelessness impact marriage and family life in Pakistan? | Melbourne Asia Review

Marriage is at the heart of life in Pakistan, but for undocumented Pakistani Bengalis it's constrained by identity requirements. Read more.

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New report from @smfthinktank.bsky.social explores child food insecurity in the UK. TCRU’s Fair Food Futures project contributes evidence on why responses need local coordination, community food support and wider advice beyond food provision. More about the project: bit.ly/3S1y1DQ @ioe.bsky.social

Social Market Foundation@smfthinktank.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Food insecurity remains a major challenge in Britain 🍽️ We're calling on Government to: 📚 Introduce free school meals auto-enrolment 🏪 Tackle food deserts 💷 Tax incentives for food donation Read more ⬇️ buff.ly/pUNR3xy Sponsored by Deliveroo

What does it mean to belong in academia? In Claiming Space, Dr Amena Amer draws on interviews & participant photography to explore the experiences of Muslim women students & academic staff in UK universities. bit.ly/3RWr07d Marshgate Building, UCL East Runs until 18 June #ucl200 @ioe.bsky.social

Claiming space: Muslim women’s experiences of academia

Claiming Space in an exhibition that explores the experiences of Muslim women in London-based universities.

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Good research does more than sit in publications. It can help clarify problems, challenge assumptions and bring lived experience into policy conversations. Our Policy & Expertise Hub brings together examples of how TCRU research speaks to policy and practice: tinyurl.com/yc3rz3cy

TCRU policy and expertise hub

Find policy-ready evidence and expertise from the Thomas Coram Research Unit.

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Care-experienced young people are more likely to face mental health challenges – but are poor outcomes inevitable? TCRU’s Veena Meetoo & @easprecher.bsky.social explore how caregiving can support wellbeing, identity & long-term networks of care. Watch: bit.ly/4vrdS8C @uclgrandchallenges.bsky.social

How Can Caregiving Relationships Support the Mental Health of Care-Experienced Young People?

Care doesn’t look the same for everyone. This project shines a light on the complex relationships that shape the mental health of care-experienced young people, uncovering the different pathways through which support, connection, and environment can influence long-term wellbeing. Visit our website to watch the video in full and to discover UCL's strategy for Mental Health & Wellbeing. https://bit.ly/4uvYMy5

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Join us tomorrow for Care Leaves and Care Time for All, with Peter Moss, @andreadoucet.bsky.social, Joan Tronto & Nancy Folbre exploring how care leave can be reimagined for children, adults & older people. There's still time to book: bit.ly/4vrxeur @umassdonahue.bsky.social @umnpolisci.bsky.social

Happening tomorrow: @drkatiegaddini.bsky.social launches Esther’s Army. A timely discussion on gender, religion and political power.

UCL Thomas Coram Research Unit@tcru-ucl.bsky.social · 3mo ago

How do women become the political backbone of the Christian Right? Join TCRU’s @drkatiegaddini.bsky.social for the launch of Esther’s Army, based on 10+ years of research into the women organising, mobilising and reshaping American politics. 2 Jun, 17:30, Gordon Sq. Book now: bit.ly/4nAdpy6

Over the past few weeks, we’ve shared research on family life, public services, care, migration, early years & inequality. The thread running through it: research is most useful when people can find it, understand it & use it. That’s why we created our Policy & Expertise Hub: tinyurl.com/yc3rz3cy

How can local areas help families access support they're entitled to? In The MJ, @clairelcameron.bsky.social shares what councils can learn from embedding welfare advice into trusted health & family services. A practical route into child poverty prevention, early help & Family Hubs bit.ly/4uDqM3u

Practical steps to prevent poverty

Almost one in three children in the UK live in poverty. At the same time, around £24.1bn in benefits and social tariffs is expected to go unclaimed in 2025-26. ...

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Great to see TCRU colleagues contributing to international work on leave policies, care and gender equality. For more on TCRU research in this area, read our case study on parental leave reform: bit.ly/4sOhSyr

Stephan Köppe@drkoeppe.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Key results presentation of cost action @leave-policies.bsky.social Margaret O'Brien & Alison Koslowski @tcru-ucl.bsky.social jirina Kocourkova, @jlammit.bsky.social, Gudny Eydal, @cassandraengeman.bsky.social

Why has “media bias” become a powerful political idea? This week’s seminar looks at the history of “liberal media bias” in the US. What changes when we see journalism as part of politics and not separate from it? 28 May, 12–1pm, Gordon Sq tinyurl.com/m2t74hkp @sriucl.bsky.social @ioe.bsky.social

Making journalism political again

A.J. Bauer will track the rightward shift of structural media criticism in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

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Across TCRU research on children, families and public services, these patterns keep appearing. We’ve brought together case studies and expertise that explore what this means for policy and practice: bit.ly/4dBFnVz

We’ve now published a short blog from our 2026 #TCRU_Coram_AnnualLecture It captures some of the key themes from the evening, including openness, identity and what it means to live with unanswered questions over time. bit.ly/4o0DUgF #DonorConception #FamilyPolicy @wearecoram.bsky.social

Stories, silences and secrets: donor conception, identity and belonging in contemporary families

This year’s joint TCRU/Coram Annual Lecture explored how donor conceived children, young people and adults make sense of identity, origins and belonging... (read more)

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Digital tools can make early years services easier to run. But the 2–2½-year review isn't just data collection. It's a chance to understand the child, speak with families & identify support early. How can digitalisation improve services without replacing face-to-face care? bit.ly/4nDiHJ6

Digitising early years services: enhancing not undermining face-to-face care

With around 600,000 children turning two each year, the 2-2½ year health and development review is a key point of contact between services and families.

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How do women become the political backbone of the Christian Right? Join TCRU’s @drkatiegaddini.bsky.social for the launch of Esther’s Army, based on 10+ years of research into the women organising, mobilising and reshaping American politics. 2 Jun, 17:30, Gordon Sq. Book now: bit.ly/4nAdpy6

Book launch: Katie Gaddini's 'Esther's Army'

Esther's Army examines how and why right-wing Christian women have risen to the forefront of American politics.

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Support for children in care cannot stop at age 16. An Ofsted report points to the importance of consistency across education, care and local authority systems. bit.ly/3P9v9DZ Our research explores why trusted support through transitions matters. bit.ly/4eAGya9

New Ofsted report warns of barriers to academic progress for children in care, despite positive work of schools and colleges

A new Ofsted report, published today, describes the challenges some schools and colleges face in supporting children in care to reach their potential, due to inconsistencies in local authority practic...

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How has Sweden’s support for families changed over time? This week’s seminar explores Swedish family policy, from universal benefits & childcare to newer targeted support. What do these shifts say about how parents’ needs and how responsibilities are understood. 21 May, Gordon Sq. bit.ly/42H8RMQ

State-funded support for families in Sweden: Historical trends and contemporary changes

This seminar will present and discuss Swedish family policies, providing a brief historical overview and addressing current changes.

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Care-experienced young people often move between systems: school, care, post-16 education, university and local authority support. Research shows why consistent, trusted support through those transitions matters. Explore our case study: bit.ly/4eAGya9

Legal status can sound like paperwork. But it also shapes whether people can study, work, access services, feel safe and plan for the future. That’s why our research on migration and citizenship looks beyond categories and into lived experience. bit.ly/4dpn6em

TCRU policy and expertise hub

Find policy-ready evidence and expertise from the Thomas Coram Research Unit.

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